Margaret Welbank
Margaret has been a member of Warton Drama Group since its earliest days. She joined the group in 1963 when she moved to Warton with her husband. Margaret has appeared in many productions over the years and her children enjoyed performing when they were youngsters. She has also helped off stage including prompting for plays and refreshment duties for audiences. In recent years Margaret has provided a rehearsal space for the group in her lovely home in Warton. Many plays have begun in Margaret’s cosy lounge with a welcome smile and cups of tea. She says of WDG “Drama has been a force for good in my life and in my children’s lives.
Joanne Leeman
Joanne has been acting for over 45 years in local theatres. She began acting in Burton in Kendal in 1976 in village pantos then moved up to the senior section of Burton Amateur Dramatics (BADS). Her last play in Burton was Top Gear in 1988, where she met her future husband, they have been acting together ever since. University was a quiet time theatrically, with only one performance as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, this was not a highlight. After Uni and on her return to Lancaster she joined Warton Drama Group and has performed with WDG ever since in plays as varied as Pygmalion, Hobson Choice, Our Country’s Good, Three Sisters and The Railway Children. Joanne has also acted with Footlights at The Grand in Lancaster in Accrington Pals and Lady Windermere’s Fan and in the Keats Project at The Laundry Theatre in Windermere. A short film of Joanne can be viewed in The Vault inside the Tourist Information Centre in Kirkby Lonsdale, playing a local schoolteacher. Joanne says “I have worked with some fantastic directors and with lovely people both on and off stage. I can’t imagine my life without drama, I’ve learnt so much about literature, life and history. It’s an amazing hobby.”
Arden Chandler
Arden has been performing with Warton Drama Group since ‘Twelfth Night’ in 2016. They say of WDG “it’s been a wonderful part of my life…..so many of my best memories took place at Warton Village Hall and the Heron Theatre!” Arden has taken on a wide range of parts, from Phyllis in ‘The Railway Children’ to Sonya in ‘Uncle Vanya’ and most recently Jackie in ‘Hay Fever.’ “Every play I’ve been part of has been a joy, and has taught me so much about acting and about myself.” In tribute to WDG Arden says “It’s hard to imagine a cast and crew as kind or as dedicated to their craft as the people at WDG.”
Marian Cox
Marian Cox joined WDG during rehearsals for The Railway Children in 2022. Her drama journey began when she joined a drama club at the local Arts Centre when she was 13. She was a Founder Member of St Oswald’s Dramatists in Preesall in 1994, which staged musical youth productions every Easter. Marian has extensive experience with preparing students for LAMDA examinations. She has directed ‘The History Boys’ at Lancaster Grand and has performed at The Dell, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s open air theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon with The Rose Company. She brings a wealth of experience and talent to WDG.
Tony Parsons
I first had contact with the drama group in October 1988, not long after moving into Warton, when I saw the production of “The Day After the Fair”. A dramatisation of a Thomas Hardy story performed in Leighton Hall, in which Chris Trueman and Jenny Davies had leading roles. I was very impressed by the quality of the production and the acting, and soon joined the group. Since then, apart from the years 1997-2003 when I was away from Warton, I have been closely involved with the group in different roles. I was Secretary for many years, and then Chair, and have acted in 26 plays. I particularly remember the productions of ‘The Crucible’ in 1994, ‘Abelard and Heloise’ in in 2004, and ‘The Lion in Winter’ in 2010, all of which took place partly in the Rectory ruins, and then in the Village Hall or St. Oswald’s church. On two occasions, we performed in the hall on a raised platform with seating surrounding it, minimal sets and staging! I finally managed to put on a production of Anouilh’s play ‘Antigone’ in 2024, which is one of my own personal highlights in my involvement with WDG. A key feature of the Group is its atmosphere of friendship and conviviality, with a deep sense of professionalism in all that we do.
Iain Wallace
Iain has been making costumes for our productions since 2016. He trained at Liverpool’s legendary Mabel Fletcher College in theatre wardrobe and design, and has worked in many repertory companies. He now works as a freelance theatrical costumier from his studio in Heysham.
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